Hanger for wardrobe trunks



June 3 1924.

' G. W. WOODS HANGER FOR WARDROBE TRUNKS Filed Jan. 19. 1923 7TORNE 1% w m W; Vn l 5W Patented June 3, 1924.

rso TATES GARLAND W. WOODS, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

HANGER FOR WARDROBE TRUNKS.

Application filed January 19, 1923. Serial No. 613,633. 1

Z '0 all whom it may concern Be it known that I, GARLA D W. WooDs, a citizen of the United States, residing at St. Louis, Missouri, have invented a certain 5 new and useful Improvement in Hangers for IVardrobe Trunks, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to wardrobe trunks One object of the invention is to provide a wardrobe trunk which is so con structed that the movable lid or hinged end wall at the upper end of the wardrobe section of the trunk will clamp the garment hangers securely against the supporting rails on which they rest without contacting with or pressing upon the garments that are draped over the upper edges of said hangers.

Another object is to provide an extensible garment hanger supporting rail for wardrobe trunks which is provided with means for locking the hinged lid or top of the wardrobe section of the trunk in its closed position.

Another objectv is to provide a wardrobe trunk in which the garment hangers are arranged in the wardrobe section of the trunk in such a manner that they cannot shift transversely of said section.

And still another object is to provide agarment hanger supporting rail for wardrobe trunks that serves as a reinforcing and strengthening device for the upper end portion of the wardrobe section of the trunk. Figure 1 of the drawings is'a perspective view of a wardrobe trunk constructed in accordance with my invention, showing the movable lid or top of the wardrobe section in its raised position.

Figure 2 is a vertical transverse sectional view of the wardrobe section of the trunk, showing the movable lid or top of said section closed. l v Figure 3 is a detail side elevational view of a portion of one of the garment hanger supporting rails, showing the locking device on said rail arranged in operative engagement with the lid or top of the wardrobe section for locking said lid in its closed position; and

Figure 4 is a bottom plan view of the parts shown in Figure 3. V V

Referring to the drawings which illus- .is provided with trate the. preferred form of my invention, A designates the wardrobe section of a wardrobe trunk, B designates the movable lid or top that forms the upper end wall of said wardrobe section, G designates thegarment hangers that are arranged transversely of said wardrobe section, and D designated supporting rails on which said'hangers are slidingly mounted, said rails being provided with hinged extensions D that are adapted to be arranged in longitudinal alignment with the rails when the trunk is open, as shown in Figure 1, and at right angles to said rails, as shown in Figures 3 and 4, when the trunk is closed.

Instead of forming the garmenthanger supporting rails from rods, that-arespaced away from the side walls of the wardrobe section of the trunk and connected to said side walls by brackets, as is now the usual practice in wardrobe trunks, I construct the rails D from members that are angle-shaped or substantially L-shaped in cross section and connect said rails to the wardrobe section of the trunk in such a way that the vertical flanges or legs of said rails reinforce and strengthen the upper end portion of the wardrobe section of; the trunk. Thus, as shown in Figure 1, each of the rails D has its vertical flange secured by fastening devices 1, to the upper end portion of one of the side walls of the wardrobe section and its horizontal leg arranged far enough below the upper edge of saidside wall that it will serve as a support for one end of the garment hangers C. If desired, the rails D can be provided at their rear ends with angularly-disposed extensions D that are connected to the rear wall of the wardrobe section, or both of the rails might be connected together by a transversely-disposed member'connected to the upper edge portion of the rearwall of the wardrobe section, thus forming areinforcing collar at the upper end of the wardrobe section that horizontally-disposed flanges that serve as rails on which the garment hangers slide.

Each of the garment ed with a horizontally-disposed bar ormemher 2 that-rests and slides upon the horizontal flanges of the rails D, said member 2; being of such length that it will "fit behangers C isprovidtweenthevertical flanges of the rails D fr ely enough to permit the garment hangers to be slid longitudinally of said rails when the trunk isopen, but will not shift transversely of the wardrobe section either when the trunk is open or when it is closed. In order to securely clamp the garment hangers to the supporting rails D when the lid or upper end wall B of the wardrobe section is in its closed position, said lid is provided on its underside adjacent its ends with clamping devices 3 formed preferably of rubber, felt or some other suitable pliable material and arranged in such a position that they will bear against the end portions of the transversely-disposed bars 2 of the garment hangers when the lid B is closed, thereby leaving a space between the intermediate portion of the top edge of each of the garment hangers and the underside of the lid for receiving garments that are folded or draped over the hangers C. In other words, my improved trunk is so constructed that the lid or upper end wall B of the wardrobe section will clamp the garment hangers securely against the supporting rails D on which they are mounted without contacting with or pressing against garments that are draped over the upper edges of the transversely-disposed portions 2 of the garment hangers. This is a very desirable feature in a wardrobe trunk, as it enables mens trousers or womens skirts to be folded or draped over the horizontally-disposed portions 2 of the garment hangers without liability of being creased or marred by pressure exerted on same by the underside of the hinged lid or top B of the wardrobe section.

In order to securely lock the lid or end wall B of the wardrobe section A in its closed position, I have provided the garment hanger supporting rails D with locking devices E which are so constructed and arranged that they will be moved into locking engagement with catches 4: on the inner side of the lid B of the wardrobe section when the hinged sections D of the supporting rails are swung inwardly or arranged at right angles to said rails, and will be withdrawn from looking engagement with said catches at when said extensions D are swung outwardly or moved into longitudinal alignment with the rails D. In the form of my invention herein illustrated the looking devices E consist of sliding elements reciprocatingly mounted on the front ends of the rails D and each provided with a tongue or reduced portion 5 that is adapted to ent ,r a hole or recess in the catch with which it co-operates, and the means for actuating or reciprocating said locking devices consists of portions 6 on the hinged ends of the rail extensions D that enter notches 7 in the locking devices E, and thus move saidlocking devices forwardly when the rail extensions D are folded inwardly and which retract or shift the locking devices in the opposite direction immaterial what means is used for moving said locking devices into operative position and into inoperative position when the hinged portions D of the garment hanger supporting rails are folded inwardly or extended, but I prefer the construction herein illustrated, on account of its simplicity and eiiiciency. Thus, as shown in Figures 3 and the extension D of each of the garment hanger supporting rails may be formed by a rod pivotally connected at 8, to the front end portion of the horizontal flange of the rail D, and the locking device E may be formed by a flat member on the underside of the horizontal flange of said rail slidingly connected to same by a depending lug 9 on the rail projecting downwardly through an elongated slot 10 in the locking device and provided with a head that laps over the underside of said locking device. The notch T in the locking device E is formed in the inner side edge of said device adjacent the front end 01. same, and the part 6 on the rail extension D that enters said notch when the extension D is swung on its pivot is formed by reducing the inner end portion of the extension D and arranging the pivot 8 some distance from the inner end of said extension. When the extension D is arranged in longitudinal alignment with the rail D that carries same, as indicated in hroken lines in Figure 4, the part 6 at the inner end of said extension D will be positioned at one side of the locking device E, which locking device is then in its retracted position. as indicated in broken lines in Figure l. When the extension D is swung inwardly, however, into a position at right angles to the rail D, the part 6 on said extension D enters the notch in the side edge of the locking device E and moves the said locking device forwardly into locking engagement with the catch t of the lid B of said wardrobe section, as shown in full lines in Figure 4;.

From the foregoing it will be seen that my wardrobe trunk has many, features which make it an improvement on, the wardrobe trunks now in general use. For example, the garment hangers are clamped securely against their supporting rails by the lid or hinged topv of the wardrobe section in such a way that the underside of said lid does not press against folded garments that are draped over the upper edges of the garment hangers; the garment hangers are held securely against lateral movement relatively to the wardrobe section of the trunk; the supporting rails are formed by angles or flanged members connected directly to the walls of the Ward- 1*obe section in such a way that they 'ative automatically by folding'the hinged extensions D of the hanger supporting rails inwardly and will be rendered inoperative or disengaged from the lid of thewardrobe section when said extensions are swung outwardly into longitudinal alignment with the hanger supporting rails during the operation of opening up the trunk.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desireto secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A wardrobe trunk having garment hanger supporting rails arranged adjacent the side walls of the wardrobe section of the trunk, garment hangers provided with transverselydisposed members that rest upon said rails, and amovable top or lid for the wardrobe section provided on its underside withclamping devices for the garment hangers that bear upon or engage only the 'end portions of the transv'erSely-disposed members of the garment hangers when said lid is closed, thereby leaving a space between the underside of the'lid'and thetop edges of said transversely disposed members for garments that are draped or folded over said members.

2. A wardrobe trunk provided with garment hanger s'upportingrails formed by two L-shaped members Whose I vertical flanges are connected to the upper end portions of the sidewalls of the wardrobe section of the trunk, garment hangers provided with transversely-disposed members that fit between the vertical flanges of said rails and slide on the horizontal flanges of said rails, and a movable top or lid for the wardrobe section provided on its underside with clamping devices arranged so that they will engage only the end portions of the transversely-disposed members of the garment hangers and thus clamp them securely against said rails when said lid is closed.

3. A wardrobe trunk, comprising a wardrobe section provided with a hinged top or lid, supporting rails for garment hangers provided with movable extensions, and a locking device for retaining said lid in its closed position operated by the movable extension of one of said rails, and arranged so as to move relatively to said extension and rail when operated by said extension.

4. A wardrobe trunk, comprising a ward robe section provided with a hinged top or lid, a collapsible garment hanger supporting means carried by said wardrobe section, and a means for locking said lid in its closed position operated by said garment hanger supporting means. but supported independently of' same and in such a way that it moves relatively to said means.

5. A wardrobe trunk, comprising a ward robe section rovided with a movable lid or top, a reciprocating device for locking said top in its closed position, and an extensible garment l1anger supporting device carried by said wardrobe section and com-' bined with said locking device in'such a 'way that movement of said hanger sup porting device into its extended position causes said locking device to move into its inoperative position.

6. A wardrobe trunk, comprisinga wardrobe section provided with a movable top or lid, a locking, device for holding said lid in its closed position, an extensible gar ment hanger supporting device carried by said wardrobe section,and means for transmitting movement to said locking device from said supporting device so as to render said locking device operative when said garment hanger supporting device is moved into its inoperative position and for rendering said locking device inoperative when said garment hanger supporting device is moved into its operative position.

7, A' wardrobe'trunk, comprising a Ward robe section provided with a movable top or lid, a movable locking device carried by said wardrobe section for retaining said lid in its closed position, and anextens'ible gar 'ment hanger supporting device vplvotally mounted on saidwardrobe section in "such a way that movement of same on its pivot causes the locking device to moverelatively to said wardrobe-sectionand relatively to said supporting device.

8. A wardrobe tiunk,'c0mprising a wardrobe section provided with a movable top or lid, a garment hanger supporting device in said wardrobe section provided with a pivotally mounted extensible portion, and a reciprocating locking element for said lid mounted on said device adjacent the pivot of said portion and combined with the extensible portion of said device in such a Way that it can be rendered inoperative by swinging said extensible portion on its pivot.

9. A garment hanger supporting rail for wardrobe trunks provided with an extensible portion, and a locking device for the lid of the wardrobe section of the trunk' carried by said rail and combined with said extensible portion in such a way that it can be rendered inoperative by moving said extensible portion.

10. A garment hanger supporting rail for wardrobe trunks provided with a locking device for retaining the lid of the wardrobe section in its closed position, said locking device being movably mounted on said rail,

and an extensible portion connected to said rail and arranged to engage said locking device and move it relatively to the rail.

11. A garment hanger supporting rail for wardrobe trunks provided with a hinged extension, and a sliding locking device for into its operative position.

13. A garment hanger supportlng rail for Wardrobe trunks provided with a hinged extension, a locking device for the lid of the wardrobe section of the trunk carried by said rail, and a part on the hinged extension of said rail that is adapted to move said locking device into and out of operative position.

14:. A garment hanger supporting rail for wardrobe trunks provided with a hinged extension, a locking device for the lid of p the wardrobe section of the trunk reciprocatingly mounted on said rail, and apart on the hinged extension of said rail that is adapted to enter a notch in said locking device and thus actuate same when said extension is moved relatively to said rail.

15. A wardrobe trunk, comprising a wardrobe section provided with a movable top or lid, garment hanger supporting rails carried by said wardrobe section and provided with movable extensions, and locking devices for said lid operatively connected with said extensions in such a way that they will be moved into a position to lock the lid in its closed position when said extensions are moved into an inoperative position and will be disengaged from the lid when said extensions are moved into an operative position.

16. A wardrobe trunk, comprising a wardrobe section provided with a movable top or lid, garment hanger supporting rails carried by said wardrobe section and provided with movable extensions, locking devices for said lid operatively connected with said extensions in such a way that they will be moved into a position tolock the lid in its closed position when said extensions are moved into an inoperative position and will be disengaged from the lid when said extensions are moved into an operative position, garment hangers provided with transversely-disposed portions that rest upon said rails, and clamping devices arranged on the underside of the lid in such way that when the lid is closed said clamping devices will bear upon only the end portions of the transversely-disposed members of the hangers.

17 A wardrobe trunk, comprising a wardrobe section provided with a movable top or lid, angle-shaped garment hanger supporting rails connect-ed to the side walls of the wardrobe section, hinged extensions on said rails, garment hangers provided with transversely-disposed members that rest upon said rails, locking devices for the lid of the Wardrobe section reciprocatingly mounted on said rails, and portions on the hinged extensions of said rails for operating said locking devices.

GARLAND WV. WOODS. 

